The Breville Toaster Oven and Air Fryer both offer countertop convenience but serve different primary functions. A Breville toaster oven is a versatile multi-tasker designed for baking, roasting, and broiling with precision, acting like a miniature conventional oven, while Breville's air fryer is a specialist appliance that uses rapid hot air to create crispy, fried-like textures with minimal oil.
Here’s everything you need to know about these popular Breville kitchen appliances to choose the best one for your cooking needs.
Breville Toaster Oven
Breville's toaster ovens are workhorse appliances that bring the functionality of a full-sized oven to your countertop. They are celebrated for their precise temperature control and even cooking thanks to smart features like the Element IQ system, which directs heat where it's needed most. These appliances excel at a wide range of tasks, from perfectly browned toast and baked goods to roasted vegetables and broiled fish.
- What it is: A versatile countertop oven designed for baking, broiling, roasting, toasting, and reheating with high precision.
- Key features: Element IQ smart heating system, convection fan for even cooking, digital displays and controls, multiple rack positions, and preset functions for tasks like pizza, cookies, and bagels.
- Price: Generally ranges from $150 to $300, depending on size and features.
- Style: Sleek and modern with a brushed stainless steel finish that fits seamlessly into contemporary kitchens.
- Materials/Construction: Built with a durable stainless steel exterior, high-quality heating elements, and non-stick interior surfaces for easier cleaning.
- Pros: Extremely versatile for various cooking methods. Precise temperature control leads to consistent baking and roasting. Larger internal capacity can accommodate pizzas, whole chickens, and standard baking dishes. A great substitute for a conventional oven.
- Cons: Slower cooking times for foods that excel in an air fryer. Takes up a larger footprint on the counter. Preheating is required for most functions.
The Breville Toaster Oven is ideal for home cooks who need a reliable, all-in-one countertop appliance for baking, roasting, and everyday oven tasks.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/en/products/ovens.html
Breville Air Fryer
Breville's specialized air fryers are designed to master one thing: crispy food. Using powerful convection fans to circulate super-heated air, they deliver a deep-fried texture on everything from French fries and chicken wings to roasted vegetables with just a fraction of the oil. They are celebrated for their speed, convenience, and health-conscious approach to making crunchy, satisfying meals and snacks.
- What it is: A countertop appliance specializing in creating a crispy, browned texture on food by circulating hot air at high speed.
- Key features: Rapid air technology, large-capacity cooking baskets, intuitive touchscreens with preset cooking programs, and adjustable temperature and time controls.
- Price: Typically priced between $200 and $350.
- Style: Modern and compact with streamlined designs, digital interfaces, and high-quality finishes.
- Materials/Construction: Features powerful convection fans, easy-to-clean ceramic-coated or non-stick baskets, and cool-touch exteriors for safety.
- Pros: Delivers exceptionally crispy results with up to 75% less oil. Cooks food much faster than a conventional or toaster oven. Easy to use with presets and simple to clean. Excellent for reviving leftovers.
- Cons: Less versatile for traditional baking - not ideal for cakes or wet batters. Basket shape can limit an item's size and cooking capacity compared to a toaster oven's wider rack. Can be loud during operation.
This appliance is perfect for health-conscious individuals or busy families who want quick, crispy, and delicious meals without the hassle and fat of deep-frying.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/en/products/air-fryers.html
Breville Toaster Oven vs. Air Fryer Comparison
Functions & Versatility
The biggest distinction is versatility. A Breville Toaster Oven is a true kitchen multi-tasker. It can bake a pie, roast a chicken, broil fish, toast four to six slices of bread at once, and heat a casserole. Its steady, even heat is ideal for traditional baking and cooking tasks that require precision. It easily replaces a standard oven for most day-to-day needs, especially in smaller kitchens or during hot weather.
Conversely, the Breville Air Fryer is a specialist. Its main purpose is to "fry" food with hot air, and it does so exceptionally well. It excels at cooking anything you want to be crispy: potatoes, frozen appetizers, chicken nuggets, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. While it can bake or roast in a pinch, the intense, circulating air isn't optimal for delicate items like cakes or for cooking anything with a loose, wet batter.
Cooking Performance & Speed
Speed is the air fryer's superpower. Thanks to a smaller cooking chamber and a powerful fan, it preheats almost instantly and cooks many foods in half the time of a conventional oven. This speed is what creates the signature crispy exterior and tender interior that mimics deep-frying.
The toaster oven cooks more like a traditional oven. It requires preheating and takes longer to cook, but it provides a more gentle, even heat distribution. This makes it superior for baking cookies that don't brown too quickly on top or roasting vegetables without drying them out. The convection fan in a toaster oven circulates air, but less intensely than in an air fryer.
Dimensions & Capacity
Breville's toaster ovens are wide and rectangular, designed to accommodate standard baking pans, 12-inch pizzas, and multiple slices of toast laying flat. They take up more horizontal counter space but offer a more flexible cooking surface area, with capacities typically ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 cubic feet.
Air fryers are often taller with a smaller countertop footprint. Their capacity is measured in quarts (usually 8-12 for Breville models) and is contained within a deep basket. This is great for shaking and tossing food like fries but limits you from cooking a wide pizza or a long fillet of salmon without cutting it into smaller pieces.
Price & Value
The price for both appliances overlaps significantly, usually in the $150-$350 range. The value proposition is different for each. A Breville Toaster Oven's value comes from its incredible versatility - it can legitimately serve as a primary cooking appliance. The value of a Breville Air Fryer comes from its speed, convenience, and ability to produce healthier versions of favorite "fried" foods.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both are premium countertop appliances that deliver fantastic results, but they are built for different cooking styles and priorities.
Choose the Breville Toaster Oven if:
- You're an avid baker who makes cookies, cakes, or pies and needs precise temperature control.
- You need an all-in-one countertop appliance that can effectively roast, broil, and toast.
- You frequently cook things like casseroles, sheet-pan dinners, or large pizzas.
- You are looking for a small-kitchen alternative that can replace your full-sized oven for most tasks.
Choose the Breville Air Fryer if:
- Your primary goal is creating crispy foods like French fries, chicken wings, and roasted vegetables.
- You prioritize speed and want to get meals on the table quickly with minimal preheat time.
- Healthier cooking is a top concern, and you want fried-food taste without the deep-fryer oil.
- You love reheating leftovers - an air fryer makes pizza and fries crisp again, never soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between a Breville Toaster Oven and an Air Fryer?
The main difference is their heating method and purpose. A toaster oven uses static heating elements (like a bake and broil element in a big oven) with a gentle convection fan for even cooking. An air fryer uses a single intense heating element paired with a very powerful fan to rapidly circulate super-hot air, which mimics the effect of deep-frying.
Can a Breville Toaster Oven also air fry?
Yes, some models can. Breville offers hybrid "Smart Oven" models, like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, which include a dedicated Air Fry function with a high-speed convection setting. This gives you the versatility of a toaster oven with the crisping power of an air fryer in one large appliance.
Which is healthier, a toaster oven or an air fryer?
The air fryer is generally healthier for preparing foods that are traditionally deep-fried. It requires only a teaspoon or two of oil to achieve a crispy texture, drastically reducing fat and calorie intake compared to submerging food in oil. For general roasting or baking, the health impact is comparable in both appliances.
Which cooks faster?
The air fryer is significantly faster. With little to no preheating required and intense circulating heat, an air fryer can cook things like chicken nuggets or roast potatoes in about half the time it would take a toaster oven.
Which is easier to clean?
For everyday use, the air fryer is often easier to clean. Most models have a removable, non-stick basket and crisper plate that can be quickly washed by hand or are dishwasher safe. A toaster oven requires cleaning the crumb tray, racks, and sometimes scrubbing burnt-on food from the interior walls.
Can I bake in a Breville Air Fryer?
You can bake some items in an air fryer with the right accessories (like small cake pans), but a toaster oven is far superior for this task. The powerful fan in an air fryer can cause cakes to cook unevenly, browning the top before the center is done, and it may not be suitable for delicate pastries.
Which is better for reheating pizza?
Hands down, the air fryer is better for reheating pizza. It perfectly crisps up the crust while melting the cheese, making a day-old slice taste almost fresh. A toaster oven also does a good job, but the air fryer's speed and crisping ability give it the edge.
Do I need both a toaster oven and an air fryer?
For the ultimate kitchen setup with maximum flexibility, having both is a great option. However, if countertop space is limited, consider a combination appliance like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro or choose the single appliance that best matches your most frequent cooking style.
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